Less than an hour later the Hammersley was steaming back to HMAS Cairns with Madeline Cruise's dead body, the bomb squad was on the Fuikiyama disabling the device, and the XO and Bird would already be at base hospital. Mike sat down on his rack and stretched his hands out in front of him, they trembled, and he squeezed his fists tight again, closing his eyes briefly as Kate's pale face came into his mind. He thought back to their conversation several hours earlier. I need you on the ship. He had practically begged her, and yet, it still wasn't enough.
Slowly and surely, he picked up the handset from his deck and asked RO to patch him through to Commander Maxine White at Navcom.
"Mike!" Maxine's voice came through, happy to hear from him, "I trust you still have all your fingers and toes?"
"Thankfully yes," he wasted no time, "I wondered whether you had any status updates on my executive officer?"
"No, I'm sorry Mike. She's gone into surgery," a pregnant pause filled the void between them as the CO briefly rested his head on the receiver, a pained look cross his face.
"Mike?"
"I'm here Maxine…" he said softly.
"Mike I am sure…" she paused, not really sure what to say. " I am sure she will be ok, I know you care a lot about her."
"I do, Maxine." He said quietly. "I…I love her," he whispered softly.
"I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that Mike. You're obviously exhausted and it's been an emotional day. Get some rest and I will see you when you are back in port."
Mike put the phone back on the hook and for the first time that day tears fell down his tired cheeks.
Five hours later HMAS Hammersley steamed back into port. Everybody on board had felt the effects of the last few days, all of them anxiously wanting to see their loved ones and give them a hug. Two Dad's body lay in cold storage, alongside Madeline Cruise, and Mike was already thinking about what he was going to tell his mother. He had a heavy heart, and all he wanted to do was check on Kate…but, the FEDs had arrived to take custody of the evidence, and Mike had to oversee the transfer of the bodies. Everyone else on board had gone through just as much loss as him, but as Captain, he felt he had to see it through.
Standing on the dock watching Cruise's body get loaded into the coroners van, Dutchy came up behind him and interrupted his thoughts.
"I sure am glad to see her gone boss," he said as he cheekily grinned at the CO, but he suddenly turned serious, his face like a stone. "Have you heard anything about the X?" he asked questioningly, a look of concern crossing his rugged features.
Mike looked out towards the ocean, and replied softly, "Not yet."
"Well, Charge and I have got this FED thing covered sir, I can take the ship….if, you know, you want to go see her," he said, raising his eyebrows, waiting for the boss to give him the ok.
Mike slowly nodded, "Thanks Dutchy, call me if you need me."
"Aye sir." And with that Dutchy turned and walked back up the gangway, pausing to salute the ensign as he walked back on board.
…
Mike strode onto the base hospital and he could feel the nerves coursing down through his body, eager to find out that she was ok, eager just to her voice again. He stood for what felt like an eternity waiting for the nurse to come back. He paced up and down the corridor and thumbed through a couple of women's magazines. Who is Kim Kardashian? He wondered.
"Mr McGregor?" he looked up suddenly and threw the Australian Women's Weekly down on the bench, slightly embarrassed, but mostly from the stress rather than anything else.
"How is she?" he took a long intake of breath and held it, impatiently searching the doctor's face for any sign of optimism.
The Doctor could see it on Mike's face straight way, so he made sure he opened with the right words. "She's ok." And Mike exhaled a massive sigh of relief.
"She's very lucky. If the medic hadn't of acted when he did there is no doubt, she would not have survived. The surgery went well, we repaired most of the damage as best we could and the rest will heal in time." He gave Mike a sympathetic smile, "Would you like to see her?"
Mike nodded unreservedly and he followed the doctor through the double-doors into the recovery room.
"You can only have a couple of minutes; she's just come out of surgery. We'll be moving your wife to the ward soon." He said softly and Mike decided not to correct him just in case that meant he wasn't allowed in. The doctor quietly slipped out and Mike walked over to her bed and picked up her hand. An oxygen mask covered her face and wires and cables were coming out from under the sheet. The monitor next to the bed pulsed strongly and steadily and it gave him some comfort. He just stood there like that, just holding her hand, until they came back to get her and take her to the ward.
Final concluding chapter coming soon...please review :)